Category: Freelancers

Page 2 of 8

Several Fortune 500 corporations hire remotely. They’re the likes of Walmart, Nintendo, Time Warner Cable, Bloomberg, GoPro and more. They understand the cost benefits of hiring remote workers and its direct consequences in their HR departments. Remote recruitment open room for payroll cuts, lower job turnover and more engagement.

Workers may choose remote jobs and communications for a multitude of reasons. Remote workers can attest to higher levels of productivity, life/work balance and a higher job satisfaction.

Hiring remotely is not a new phenomena. In fact, you’re pretty late to the game! In the U.S. alone,

remote work opportunities have increased 800 percent since 2005. A 2012 SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) survey indicates that the main reasons for remote recruitment are global expansion and boosting productivity (53% and 49 % percent of all respondents respectively).

Cut your payroll!

The global job market is now accessible through remote job marketplaces such as UpWork (North America), Nabbesh.com (Middle East) or Freelancer (Australia). These marketplaces are highly competitive. You can hire qualified workers within your budget who will do the same exact job as any other nine-to-fivers among your local talent pool. You will also pay less overheads by having less people in the main office. You will save a ton in office rent, significantly in rent-hike cities such as Dubai, Cairo, London, San Francisco and several other cities around the world.

Remote workers have helped redefine working hours from a regular 9 to 5 to a delivery time that starts at “assignment” and ends at “due date.” Save on wages by hiring workers who can deliver work outside of traditional office hours. Don’t pay them for idle hours spent at the office. They don’t want the money.

Scale your talent pool on demand

Chances are you’re in a city that makes sense for your business, but doesn’t provide enough new talent for your company’s sustainability. This is typical for smaller cities with small dwelling population or universities. You can hire the finest workers outside of your immediate locality either in your country or overseas. Remote work is a great option for talented workers who do not wish to move to new cities big or small alike for many reasons. The news is – you don’t have to comprise on skills anymore. Moms are a chief example of remote workers who can’t always change locations because of family commitments.

Grow your business faster

There are a few tech companies that are 50+ percent remote. This means that more than half of their employees are distributed across several regions and several times zones. An internationally distributed team is able to work around the clock. Remote workers are a great resource for rapid-growth companies who wish to expand to new markets. Hiring locally will cost you less than opening a new office and sending expatriate supervisors to oversee work. Local (remote) workers are proficient in the local language, culture, and business customs. You won’t be lost in translation.

Keep your employees motivated

Remote workers exhibit a higher work motivation than regular on-site workers. If you think about it, remote workers don’t have to deal with daily commutes or traditionally confined work spaces. Plus, despite the new trend, remote jobs are not abundant. If your new recruit professes their desire not only to work at your company, but to do so remotely, they are probably not going to leave you any time soon for their old nine to five job. Remote workers stick longer if the work conditions you provide are ideal for them. Higher job retention will help you save money on new recruitment and will ultimately lead to better work and service to your customers.

The author of this article is a remote worker. You can hire Ahmed for your job by inviting him to send a proposal.

If you are a new graduate or simply new to online freelance work, your definition of a good resume and a job-landing cover letter might blur. Where you should say more or leave some details untold might not be obvious if you want the job and you want the money.

Good resumes will get your foot in the door. Cover letters will reaffirm your employer’s initial judgement about you. A follow-up interview will usually get you a traditional job, but in the freelance world, it’s really just the proposal and the tenacity of your online profile that will get you hired fast.

Difference between a resume and a cover letter

A resume is an outline of your professional career in few sub-heads and bullet points. It will tell your employer where you went to school and particularly why your education is relevant to the job you’re applying for if at all. You will also have to list all relevant professional precedence. You don’t have to crowd your resume with jobs and details that are not important for the specific job or freelance job you’re applying for. A good resume is usually no more than 2 solid pages of solid, indispensable information about you. If you are applying for a job or a freelance position in Europe, they will ask you for a CV which is the same as resume in American English.

A cover letter is literally a letter in a traditional letter format. You will address the employer and you will tell them a few important details about yourself and your career as well as your accomplishment to take you seriously for their vacant position or the task to be fulfilled by you-hopefully. A good cover letter should not more than 500-600 words. It should be broken into clear paragraphs. A cover can be a great extension to your resume. This is your chance to elaborate on specific tasks you have undertaken and target results you have achieved for your previous employers. You don’t have to list every achievement as you probably should in your resume.

How to write a resume as young graduate

If you are a recent graduate, you probably lack a solid professional experience to woo your future employers with. The appropriate length for your resume should not surpass one page. If you have been in multiple extra-curricular activities and can speak of genuine achievements or learning milestones in your internships, make it two pages. The best would be to cherry-pick the details you want to share with your employer. Don’t simply crowd your resume. If you’re applying via an electronic application system, chances are your resume will be filtered and shortlisted. This is a good opportunity to add more keywords that are relevant to the desired job position to increase your chances.

Do always submit your resume in a PDF file. This is the norm. When you’re a recent graduate, education should be first and foremost and then any relevant internships, part-time work or extra-curricular involvement. Do emphasize on your GPA or your local grade average as well as the courses you have taken in school, and the practical skills you do now possess.

Do’s

Quantify all of your accomplishments (how many logos did you design, articles you wrote, events you managed, etc.)

Be very specific about what you did. If you can’t put your tasks in words, simply avoid vagueness or ask for the help of a good colleague who filled the same position.

Look up other resumes for people who had filled your previous positions and your desired one.

Do make a profile with tailored university course selection and tasks carried out of school as well as skills.

Do consider a resume design/template if you think your employers would require so. Several companies and higher institutions require the Europass template to manage conformity between applicants.

Stick to one structure, one chronological order and one order when writing your resume

Don’ts

Don’t lie.

Don’t forget to add crucial information such as the duration of your internships or locations

Don’t mix pronouns and verbs or tenses in your bullet points

Don’t include interests or hobbies except when common hobbies will get you extra score points. You have to know before you gamble.

How to write a good proposal for a Nabbesh job

The best way to land a job on Nabbesh.com is to keep your cover letter or proposal short. Competition is tough. Often, an employer might not look beyond the few lines that will appear in the email or web notifications.

Do upload your resume (in PDF format) to back up your said experience or your solution to the employer’s problem. Start with what you will do for the employer. Include any specificity if needed and then elaborate why you’re fit to do what you say you can do. Past experience is a great proof of skills. Online reference is always the best way to make fast decisions and make the employer hit the “short-list” button or write you a response.

Be very specific about your charges from your second or third paragraph. Don’t write more than you should. Every line should be in direct context to the job you’re applying to, otherwise, do omit it. It’s for your best interest.

Nabbesh users around the world can now get paid for freelance jobs directly through our new payment system, Payoneer, who offer faster, more flexible, more secure and lower cost payment solutions to receive and withdraw money from Nabbesh.

After listening to your feedback about payment speed, convenience and the rising fees for money transfers, we have been looking for a fast and convenient way to offer savings to all users and are therefore very excited to announce this new update.

Payoneer’s Convenient Solutions

Receive your funds in minutes through the Payoneer MasterCard® Card

Receive your funds through the Local Bank Transfer Service for only $3

Why did Nabbesh Switch?

Very Low Transfer Fees

Freelancers have so far been subject to approximately $10 USD internationally and $5 USD locally for money transfers. Payoneer will offer a flat fee of $3 USD for all payments of any size.

Time Consuming

Although previous payments like Western Union (WU) are seemingly fast, they require you to fill forms and physically be at WU offices or kiosks to receive your money. This will no longer be required as Payoneer will offer transfers directly from Nabbesh to your Payoneer account.

No Unnecessary Withdrawals

When a freelancer gets paid, you are required to withdraw the funds from WU into cash or deposit them into your account. Payoneer will allow you to keep money in your Payoneer account and withdraw it or spend it however and whenever you want.

Payoneer is Borderless

In some countries that do not have U.S affiliated banks, payment transfers and processing can be extremely difficult and expensive. Payoneer will allow Nabbesh to send quicker, easier and lower cost payments to all freelancers in over 200 countries, in over 150 currencies.

Payment Convenience

Payoneer users are offered a prepaid MasterCard® card. Nabbesh can pay you directly to your Payoneer account, enabling you to use your card to withdraw money from any ATM, or spend it directly in-store or online with anyone who accepts MasterCard, anywhere around the world.

Nabbesh will be rolling out this new service on 16th August, and we will be more than happy to answer all your question on the support line or on our Facebook and Twitter accounts. Alternatively, you can also find details on FAQ page.

To get started click on the register to Payoneer button on the banner above or go to your account settings and select the desired Payoneer service.

The path to freelancing isn’t necessarily a straight one. People turn to freelancing at various junctures in their lives but one thing is for sure, it is always an option. Freelancing simply means that you are not committed to one employer and you get to “choose” what you want to work on, at a time that works for you.

Becoming a freelancer in the Middle East can be challenging since we still lack the “freelance” mindset and the infrastructure to support freelancers is somewhat nascent. Building on our experience at Nabbesh.com, we offer you 4 tips to get started!

Make sure you love what you do: Freelancing is a long and often lonely path, it is one thing to muster the motivation get started but the real test starts when you hit your first road block and whether or not you will have the resilience to keep going. When you are passionate about your work, you will go the extra mile to present your skills in the most professional way, you will take ownership of your work and the promises you make to clients and you will certainly start reaping the results when your clients start raving about you! Success won’t happen over night, but if you love your work, it most certainly will.

Know the value of your work:Start by researching the market before you price your services. It could be as simple as asking friends and colleagues, or approaching potential clients to get an idea about budgets. Have a clear price range in mind and negotiate within that range. Setting low prices can hurt your income and demotivate you while setting high prices may drive clients away. If this is your first attempt at freelancing, be willing to take on a few jobs at a discount in order to to get the ball rolling and give you momentum but be clear with your clients and let them know that this is an introductory offer!

Choose the right platform to get started:Freelancing is no longer dependent on your circle of family and friends, you have at your disposal several local and global “online work” marketplaces to get you started! A marketplace drastically increases your exposure to a wide network of clients and provides you with a steady stream of projects/ jobs that you can choose from. Decide which marketplace is the right one for you, factors include your skills and level of experience, your preferred type of client, your preferred method of work i.e. do you want on-site projects or pure virtual work? Once you make the decision, spend some time building a quality profile as most marketplaces have algorithms that provide more visibility to freelancers with quality profiles versus bad or incomplete profiles.

Build your reputation:We could not stress how important this is! Marketplaces like Nabbesh.com offer a rating & review mechanism for you to start building your online reputation. This tool provides an unbiased assessment of your work and clients will consider it when they are assessing different applicants. If you were to hire someone to do a simple task, wouldn’t you want to hire the person with the best reviews? How about if you were a company looking to hire an expert for a $5000 project? Your reputation is not only your gateway to more work, but it also means better clients and higher value projects.

Online work marketplaces have taken freelancing to the next level! It is now easy and safe for anyone with an internet connection to get access to thousands if not millions of potential clients and start earning an income fast!

Do you have freelancing stories you would like to share? Then write us at contact@nabbesh.com

This is a guest post from Saurabh Tyagi, Blogger, Career Author, and Digital Media Enthusiast

In the current economic scenario if you intend to make a comfortable living, more than anything else you should be relying on a set of skills. While degrees and certifications look good on paper, ultimately it is your skill or innate talent that will attract the employer or client towards you. You don’t get paid for your degree in computer science. It is what magic you can turn up with computers that will earn you a paycheck. Having settled the importance of skills, let us now examine five such competencies that will never fail you, however bad shape the economy might be in.

Writing

Excellent writing skills have many takers. Almost all business, whether online or offline is done in writing and therefore the demand of skilled writers can never seem to go down. Everybody likes a well-spoken professional, but the highest paid are those who can work up some magic while putting those words in writing. Poor writing skills reflect badly on your education, credibility and intelligence while good writing skills will present you with an undeniable advantage over others, no matter which industry you are in.

A typically well written article, or business proposal or blog has perfect grammar, punctuation, clarity, brevity, and consistency. Even if you are not employed as a full time writer, there are plenty of freelance writing assignments available on the web that you can take to make your ends meet.

If you are motivated enough to learn writing, then pursue an online creative writing course. There are other short term regular courses in technical and business writing as well.

Social Media

Social Media has burst on the scene like anything. Today there is hardly any educated individual who is not using at least one social networking site. But did you know that the hours you spend sitting in front of your PC incessantly checking the Facebook newsfeed or the flow of tweet can earn you some extra cash. The way businesses have integrated social media in their marketing strategies; there is a certainty about jobs related to social media.

While higher level social media jobs require the ability to devise strategies, most businesses only need a person who has sound understanding of social media universe. A little bit of investment and efforts on your part to understand you would launch and plan a campaign to generate more leads or revenue for the business will certainly put you at the forefront of candidate pool for social media specialist jobs.

Basic Accounting

It couldn’t be more foolish to assume that accounting is only the domain of a student of accounting. Basic accounting is an important life skill. With the knowledge of the most commonly used software you can easily distinguish yourself from other candidates. All you need is access to programs like Simply Accounting, Peachtree and Intuit Quickbooks. If you aren’t able to find these programs, it is advised to get yourself enrolled to classes or have some of your friends to teach you a thing or two about basic accounting.

Web Design

Every business that targets expansion of audience and revenue has no option but to have a web presence because that’s one place where you will find both. Thus, every company, however small or large has a website and every new company arising out of any dorm room or a garage will also require one in the future. Needless to say, web designers will never go out of demand. Just like writing, there are plenty of freelance online jobs that require the help of web designers.

To have the boasting rights you need to know HTML, CSS, and SEO. HTML or HyperText Markup Language is the main markup language while Cascading Style Sheet will help you design the look and appearance of the web pages. SEO refers to Search Engine Optimization, used to increase the visibility of the website in search engine results. Do not be overwhelmed with the technical sound of these skills; learning them is totally worth it.

The ideal that surrounds becoming a freelancer can seem very optimistic: you get to work in a space that is comfortable to you, work hours that suit you, and hey, sometimes you don’t even need to step foot outside of your house!

‘But that’s not your real job. What do you really do?’

All too often, people who would never consider freelance as a way of life, may decide to offer their own advice; the type that indirectly, yet very directly, tells you that being a freelance writer isn’t a proper job, and that it’s more of a hobby than a more ‘respectable’ 9 to 5.

However, who says that your hobby, your love for writing, drawing, designing, or whatever you’re most passionate about can’t be your full time job? Freelance doesn’t mean sitting around waiting for the opportunity to knock on your door (or more likely, email) and offer you your first gig. More often than not, freelancers are grafting, sending emails, writing till their finger tips are raw just to find that one opportunity that will get the snowball avalanching.

I called myself a writer.

No one took me seriously until I started believing it myself. The hints that this was just a phase, and in the mean time, I should be applying for ‘real jobs’ sometimes took a toll. I kept assuming that I was an aspiring author, a struggling writer, and that writing would stay as simply a hobby.

You’re a writer if you write, not if you are published or make money. It’s that simple.

So I changed my email signature, told friends and family, built a resume and cover letter to send out to clients, and whenever someone asked me what I did, I would tell them this: I’m a writer.

Not a marketing professional or that I worked at a software company, a writer.

The starting point is simply admitting to oneself that you do have the talent within yourself, and that someone out there needs your skills I organized myself as if I, Naila Missous, was a small business and began to build my platform. Your email becomes your best friend, and I would send message after message from my laptop and mobile phone wherever I was. I would offer my writing and translation services, and be confident in selling myself.

Of course, initially there are more setbacks than congratulatory emails coming your way, and your sent box may seem like throwing a letter in a bottle into the depths of the ocean: a sure fire way of never getting a response. The key is to have plenty of patience and perseverance.

I connected with others.

The internet has fast become the platform for freelancers to publicly show off, so to speak. And why not? If you’ve got it, flaunt it!

Writing and then expecting a payment is like running a race and expecting a medal. You still have to beat out the others around you. For me personally, it was all about getting my name out there. I found websites that I could write for, pitch my ideas to, or send an already written draft, and I would play the waiting game. At first, you can get frustrated with a few initial low paying gigs, but you should think about it this way: you are practicing your skill and talent, and it can lead to higher paying jobs.

Steadily you begin to build a portfolio as well as a reputation. Work sometimes finds you, rather than the other way around. Never underestimate the power of word-of-mouth and raving reviews. If you care about your work, you’ll do your best to deliver it to the highest standard and the rest takes care of itself.

Websites like Nabbesh offer you a platform to engage with other like-minded freelancers as well as a place to showcase your talents, whatever they may be. Nabbesh initially attracted me because of its positive attitude towards freelancers: it offers freelancers of any skill to advertise their talent in an easy to use profile. The layout is clean and legible, and searching for jobs is easy.

I’m able to let future clients see my experience and I am able to keep it updated. From my language skills, journalism posts to blogs, all of them are kept up-to-date and are easily searchable.

Nabbesh allows you to market your skill set and carve out your niche. That way, you’ll only be contacted by those who specifically want your talents, and the reverse is true when you’re on the search for new ventures. The key is to customize your proposals; each client is unique and your response rate increases when you address the client’s needs and wants and how you are the best candidate for the job.

This was my journey to freelancing, and I hope I’ll inspire you to begin yours as well.

هل ترغب بتجربة العمل عبر الانترنت؟

Our goal is to help you get your work done more efficiently by connecting you with freelance talent online. We have broken a few records along the way with our rapid job fulfillment rates: most are filled within 24 hours! Time is money, so to help you get the most out of hiring through Nabbesh, we’re sharing our observations from reading over 4,000 of our freelance job listings. It turns out hiring the perfect freelancer starts with a great freelance job post. Here are a few tips to help you write up the job post that will get your work done even faster!

8 notable features in the best job postings:

1. An interesting job title which captures the essence of your job and any special characteristics you are looking for! For example, “Creative Mobile Web Developer” is better than “Web Developer.” The more descriptive you are and the more key words you hone in on, the better Nabbesh can help match you to a suitable candidate.

2. Required Skills: What skills or technical competencies are required to complete your job? Make sure you select a few of the skills that best describe the skills you need to complete your freelance job.

3. Job Description: Know and state your key outcomes for this freelance job and what your key deliverables will be. For example, you may be looking to hire a photographer to take pictures of your upcoming party. A key piece of information would be the date of the party and what pictures you would like captured at this party.

4. Samples of work: Nabbesh allows applicants to attach samples of their work to their applications on the Workflow form. We recommend you ask for samples of their work especially since this can be one of the best indicators of whether you like someone’s style of writing (for example).

5. Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines! We cannot stress this enough. Make sure you list your specific timeframe. If your job must be done by June 1st, put that in the description. Also, if your job requires multiple deliverables, you should also put those in the job description. Being specific with your expectations will eliminate candidates from applying to your job who cannot meet your deadlines,thus saving you time!

6. Budget: Be very specific when it comes to your budget. Nabbesh offers two types of contracts: hourly rate and fixed-price contracts. There are benefits to both, depending upon the budget and scope of the project, but the clearer you are up front with your budget constraints, the more time you save since xpectations will be managed up-front. You don’t want someone applying who charges an hourly rate 50% higher than your budget allows.

7. Flex work, online or on-site? State whether your job requires the freelancer to work on-site (and where) or whether it can be done online or flexibly.

8. Start-date: We know you probably wanted someone to finish your job yesterday, but let us help you find someone today! Make sure you input the start date so the freelancer will know whether or not to apply to your job based upon their schedule or commitments.

Final thoughts: The more specific you are, the greater your chances for a successful match and the less time you will spend explaining your specific requirements to each applicant before they can submit a proposal for your job. And remember, our owls are always here to help! If you need more help posting a freelance job on Nabbesh, just give us a shout at: support@nabbesh.com or tweet to us @nabbeshtweets

If you are really short on time, we offer bespoke hiring services to fill your job requirements. Enquire about Nabbesh’s Talent Management Solutions directly at +971-52-787-1114.

Nabbesh is proud to announce the launch of our online rating system, which is one more step in presenting a full solution to the challenges of online work. As an online marketplace for freelancers our goal at Nabbesh is to present you with all the tools for you to lead a successful freelancing life!

Nabbesh offers you 3 key benefits to ensure that your freelance career is successful:

Access to a vast network encompassing the entire MENA region

A secure online payment service that makes online work safe & rewarding

Ratings & feedback on your work designed to increase your future opportunities

We launched our new rating system because we want our very best freelancers and clients to shine!

Why are ratings important?

Positive ratings can increase your chances of getting hired!

Studies show that by building a positive rating online, freelancers can increase their income by 20% in the first year as they capitalize on repeat business and enjoy charging more competitive rates.

Positive ratings mean, freelancers can be awarded projects quicker than their peers as it provides the client with quality assurance.

As Nabbesh grows, positive ratings will provide freelancers an opportunity to compete on projects on a global level, gain new skills, earn more income and increase their exposure to employers.

Positive ratings give the freelancers added visibility on Nabbesh as clients will be able to sort search results by ratings.

Once you complete a project through Nabbesh, you will be able to write a review of the client (and they will also be able to write a review of you).

Once you’ve completed projects on Nabbesh, here’s how your ratings and feedback will enhance your profile and be displayed:

How can I receive positive ratings on Nabbesh?

Start by completing your profile on Nabbesh. A 100% profile completion will give you added visibility in search results as well as when Nabbesh matches your profile to a project posted on Nabbesh.

Check all the projects listed on Nabbesh and apply to the ones where you can deliver high-quality work. It is important that you make a good impression with your first project to secure a positive rating.

Follow the Nabbesh application process by sending the client a proposal for the work, including your portfolio, and eventually an invoice once you have delivered the project according to the terms of the agreement.

Finally make sure you maintain very good customer service throughout your project so you can ask the client to give you a positive rating.

Today’s blog post comes from Ahmed Medien who specializes in online publishing, blog writing and social media marketing. Ahmed has experienced freelancing first-hand after he left his writer job at Tunisia Live (Tunisia’s leading news website) in January 2012. He has tried it all and has failed on several occasions, but has acquired, in the meantime, a lot practical knowledge about the profession. He also had the chance to meet other freelance journalists from everywhere in the region.

If you are a freelance journalist in MENA, then worry no more. There is tons of work for you and a lot of opportunities to become a fully-established reporter in your area. The Arab Spring has brought a lot of change and dynamics to the region. And, most importantly, the world is still hooked to our news. The demand is virtually high, and you are the supplier.

Here are 8 useful tips to become the next legitimate source on Middle Eastern affairs.

The purpose of this post is to help freelance journalists position themselves both financially and professionally in the MENA media industry, and also improve your status as a freelance journalist.

1) Know your priorities

It is important to establish some priorities before getting into journalism. Journalism is a very demanding job. It can be both frustrating and exhausting if you don’t prepare or, as I call it, strategize enough for the job. Your career might not even pick up if you are not sure what you are trying to accomplish with this new job.

Therefore, it is useful to ask yourself some of these relevant questions before starting writing, filming, photographing, etc.: How many hours will you allocate to this new job? Is it going to be your main job? Are you mentally prepared to follow news around the clock in different countries and languages? Do you have the necessary technical skills to make it on top of the market? Are you ready to do it without pay?

Basically, you want to know where you are headed with this profession when you decide to take a stab at it.

2) Make the right investments

The word investments, here, could be interpreted literally and loosely as it could a more expensive phone plan, a tablet, your own website, a better camera, a better sound recorder, a video/sound editing software – you name it.

Basically, you want to make sure that you’ll be using your time and strategic location more efficiently through these assets to help you make the most of your experience as a journalist.

Internet on the go or a mobile device will help you stay connected with people and actions wherever you go if mobility is part of your reporting activity. A better camera will help you deliver better quality photos that will sell more in the market or attract more clients.

3) Get online

This is beyond obvious. It is the most efficient way to interact with your community, larger community, and also engage your audience with the kind of journalistic content that you produce.

4) Seek out an internship

Just like any other profession, you will need job credentials in journalism in order to be taken seriously by other publishers. Therefore, whether you live in a small or bigger city, try to find any media outlet that is hiring a new member in their team. This could be paid or unpaid, but it is really up to you to establish your priorities and must’s in your new career.

Preferably, you want to choose a media organization that focuses on your topics of interests be it a specific city or country, a “region”, foreign affairs, culture, etc. When you do start this new job, you want to absolutely make sure that your organization is completely onboard with staff writing or producing for other outlets. Otherwise, abstain, because it is not professional.

You will also need to quantify your experience at this new job so that you can display it nicely in numbers on your CV/portfolio. For example: I have worked x hours a week. I wrote x many articles with x thousands in unique views and social media shares. I covered x political/cultural/social demonstration events on the ground. I produced multimedia content (video, photos, sound bites) for my organization, etc.

5) Build up a portfolio

Do not limit yourself to your CV. Portfolios can make a difference when a media outlet is hiring a freelancer in the region. Your employer wants to look easily and quickly through your proven publishing, photographing or video experience and a portfolio is the best fit platform for that.

This is why you do also want to make an online portfolio. One of the most famous free portfolio hosts are Carbonmade.com. If you do believe that you even need your own website with more content to yourself, then you may also want to try breezie.com. It allows you a more aesthetic web presence that potential employers can scroll through easily.

6) Take initiative

You have got to take the initiative and go cover breaking news or any other interest of yours even if you don’t have any client yet on the line. You could always find people who would be interested in your work later. This really depends on your ability to market yourself and present your work, but that wouldn’t happen at all if you don’t have the necessary content.

Even if nobody reaches out to you personally and ask you to write or produce any media piece about a particular event, you can literally go to knock on other editors’ doors. Ask them if they would be interested to have this or that. Be creative and authentic with your coverage. This might or might not work. But, you will get some interesting contacts that you will keep for future uses and dates.

7) Narrow your breadth of coverage

This is something to keep in mind as long as you’re doing journalism. You do not want to be the kind of person who does everything. Editors will not take you seriously if you present yourself with a minimal experience – let’s say – and an alleged expertise in 10 different topics. You have got to pick one or two or three depending on what your experience is.

If you are Palestinian and have grown in the West Bank or Gaza, then you might know about the subject legitimately more than other fellow MENA freelancers. Topic expertise could be anything such as Arab Spring, war, Hezbollah, Palestine, business in the Gulf, culture, human rights, Iran, etc.

8) Pay

Pay is perhaps the trickiest subject among the other aforementioned tips. Excessive pay demands or expectations might draw some employers off especially that there are also many competitors in the media industry in MENA. Typical pay for more renowned international media organizations is often in the xxx dollars, but beware that these media companies do also know their way around the region as much as you do. Do not think of robbing anybody off. Never.

It’s hard to determine how much you should ask for pay i.e. your profit margin, as it really depends on your line of coverage, technical skills and experience. Therefore, it is best recommended to talk to peers and try to assess quantitatively and qualitatively the work expected to finish the job.

You have to send out the message clearly enough, though, at the beginning that you are expecting to be paid. You should keep some kind of leverage so that you can guarantee that you won’t be robbed off. However, in case you do agree to waive your rights to a fair compensation of your efforts, please make sure that you will commit your employer into health insurance if you know that you will be risking your life or any other legal liability of that sort.